Thoughts by Sister T

Announcement

2011-07-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

I mentioned last week that all would be made clear about a big change in my life, but that I wanted to wait a while before I put it up here, even though I'm still not announcing it to everyone just yet. I don't think any of my friends read this blog anymore, but just in case someone I know does stumble upon this post, I ask that you talk to me first before talking to anyone else about it.
Now, on to the big announcement.

The Good News
As many people know, my husband has been going through a difficult time in the past seven years. He developed chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia and has basically been extremely tired, in pain, and dealing with depression related to his symptoms. We've tried different prescriptions, vitamins, supplements, and alternative therapies to alleviate his symptoms. Our goal was to get him back to a point where he could live with his disease without it taking over his life completely.

I am happy to announce that, as of a month ago, his symptoms have started to improve and he is slowly regaining his health. He's not cured, but his pain and fatigue have lessened significantly and his depression is (almost) non-existant.

The Bad News
He'd always been unsure about having kids, so when we thought I was pregnant in our first year of marriage, he was scared. I was sad when we found out it was just a long cycle after having come off the pill, but he was immensely relieved. After that, he decided that he never wanted to have kids, and was unsure of how to tell me, since I've known for most of my life that I wanted to be a mom. He's tried to change the way he feels and has tried to have the desire to want kids, but to no avail. He's mentioned to me many times during our marriage that he's not sure that he could handle having kids, but I always just assured him that it'd be okay. We didn't want to start a family when he was sick anyway, and since it didn't seem like he would get better, I thought I should just get used to the idea that it would never happen, and I tried to lessen my desire for children. But he noticed that the more I did that, the more sullen and depressed I got.

In case you haven't figured out where this is going yet, it all boils down to this: we are getting divorced. We've already put in the paper work and are waiting for it to go before a judge so it can be signed, and our marriage will be over. That should happen sometime in August. We decided this over the Memorial Day weekend, although we'd talked about it a few times before, but I don't think we really took it seriously until recently.

There are a few other reasons, but this is the biggest sticking point. I want a family but he can't stand children. How do you compromise on something like this? It wouldn't be fair for me to saddle him with a responsibility he doesn't want, or for him to keep me from having the one thing I want most in life (besides a stable, loving relationship). My dad asked me if I would prefer to have my husband or have kids. I'd love to remain married to him, but I'm afraid that I'd come to resent him.

In Conclusion
I'm living in a different room in the house until I can move back in with my parents. I also have a couple other living options up in the air. I started working full-time at my job last week, which will be a big help. Since he doesn't have a job yet, I'll keep the car, and since I have more of a chance at living on my own in the future, I get to keep most of the wedding gifts so I can furnish my own apartment (I'll let him have any duplicates). Yes, we've both agreed to these terms; we're making this as easy a divorce as possible.

Changes

2011-07-03T02:07:00.002-05:00

A couple of things have been changing in my life, and they've been interesting to say the least. The one I feel like mentioning is something I just found out today that has actually been in the works for the past three months. (No, I'm not pregnant. I don't wish for that at present. More on that later.)

My husband has three older sisters (and three older brothers, but that's not important). The sister he's been closest to and her family have decided that they no longer want to be members of the Church. I don't know how they came to this decision; the in-laws seem to have known all along, and the sister recently started to tell her siblings about their decision. I'm surprised that my mother-in-law, who tends to get physically ill when faced with highly emotionally-charged circumstances, hasn't died from the shock. For someone who has been sealed in the temple raised her children in the church as righteously as she has, this must be a big blow to her. I personally wish them the best of luck as they continue to search for what they deem to be the truth.

The other changes coming my way involve an upgrade at my job and new living arrangements coming in the next couple months. I'll write more about that last part later. I doubt any of my friends still read this blog, but only a couple know about my plans, so I'm being cautious for a while, just in case. Rest assured, all will be made clear soon.

Thoughts...

2011-05-08T00:50:00.004-05:00

Nieces: 11
Nephews: 17
Grand-nieces: 4, with one on the way
Grand-nephews: 1 on the way
Years in daycare, with kids that love me: 6
Kids of my own: 0

I'm lucky in the fact that my mom is still alive, and I have the knowledge of a Mother in Heaven who loves me.

I'm still sad to be the only married woman in both our families to not have kids.

I actually feel like I could do the childfree thing most of the time, except for those times I read a birth announcement and gets the pangs of sadness, or hear about how the greatest thing a woman can do is have a baby and feel like I'm missing out on something, especially in a church that is so family oriented.

Then again, no kids means fewer groceries, free time to do whatever I want, time to spend with just my hubby, fewer dishes, less laundry...

This is one aspect of our "new normal" that I think I've been having the hardest struggle with.

Mother in Prayer

2011-04-17T12:01:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Day, I thanked both my Heavenly Parents for the birth of Their Son, Jesus Christ. I felt that including my Heavenly Mother was an appropriate thing to do, given the day. For a few while after, I even included Her in my personal prayers. But lately I haven't been. My prayers have a tendency to get rote very quickly, and I felt like I wasn't being true to my Mother. I can't really explain it any other way; just that I wasn't giving Her enough respect as the mother of my spirit.

We don't pray publicly to Her. Supposedly, we don't talk much about Heveanly Mother because we haven't had much revealed to us much beyond just the fact that She exists, which is true; but also because She's so sacred to Our Father that He doesn't want Her name dragged through the mud the same way His has been. That might be true, I don't know, but a thought similar to that came to mind today when I said my prayers this morning. I mentioned that I haven't been including Her, but that it was okay. I knew that She was listening anyway. I felt it then, and I feel it more now, writing this out.

She does exist! She loves us and listens to us. We may not know it, but She's there with Him, rooting for us when we excel and picking us up when we fall. I feel it was appropriate in my personal prayers to thank Her on Christmas Day, and I think I'll include Her when I feel it is appropriate. In the meantime, just knowing that She is listening anyway is comforting to me.

It's interesting...

2011-03-27T10:16:00.003-05:00

The way the Spirit just hits you sometimes. A minute ago I was reading through my religious blogs, like I do each Sunday (that I have the chance). I read a blog by some nuns in New Jersey, Moniales OP, and I was reading about two women that went from postulant to novitiate on Friday (one of the steps toward becoming a full-fledged nun). I don't know why, but the picture of the two women being blessed by the priests made me cry tears of joy. It's so neat to see two women so completely devoted to God that they take such a momentous step in His service.

Not to sound like a know-it-all...

2011-03-19T15:37:00.002-05:00

I read an article this morning about scholars who agree that God had a wife that was worshipped along with Him. In the Bible, the Isrealites worshipped both God and His wife, Asherah.

It's a concept I'm already familiar with, especially as a Latter-day Saint. It's not widely preached, but we do believe that we are children of Heavenly Parents, which means we have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. True, we don't pray directly to our Heavenly Mother, but I believe that when we pray, even though we direct the prayer to Heavnly Father, it goes to both of them.

My Beliefs (Parts 17-20)

2011-02-16T20:55:00.002-06:00

These are the last questions on the quiz. The answers, and why I chose them, follow.

Question #17
Social betterment programs (e.g., equality, anti-poverty, education) should be fundamental.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

Most definitely. "Do unto others", right?

Question #18
Nonviolence (e.g., pacifism, conscientious objector) should be fundamental.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

I don't know what to say beyond I agree.

Question #19
Prayer, meditation, or spiritual healing practices shoud be favored to the exclusion of conventional health treatment (for all serious conditions or serious types of conditions).
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

I'm all for trying prayer or other spiritual healing practices (we're big on the laying on of hands), but there are certain instances where simply meditating away a broken leg won't cut it. The phrase, "God helps those who help themselves" comes to mind. Go ahead and say a prayer, but a trip to the emergency room won't hurt.

Question #20
Revering nature or the environment should be fundamental.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable.

The earth can't take care of us if we don't take care of it. Simple enough.
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Well, that's it for my What I Believe series. Thanks for hanging on for the ride!

2011-02-12T18:57:00.002-06:00

For some reason, I was doing laundry, and a scene from a somewhat famous LDS movie popped in my head. If you grew up in the LDS church in the 90s, you have most likely seen the movie Saturday's Warrior at least once. I could recite most of the movie by heart, I'm sure. I loved that movie, and the ending has always made me cry. I thought for sure the man I was going to marry was my sweetheart in the pre-existence, and we would be looking for each other on earth. I'm sure it wasn't quite like that, but I like to think I was supposed to marry the man I did.

Anyway, that's not important, and it's not the reason I wanted to post tonight. There's a scene early in the movie in the pre-existence where people are getting ready to be born, including two men that will end up being mission companions on earth, and twin siblings that will be the start of a family of eight. There's a matron character who makes sure that the spirits leave on time for them to be born and sends them to Earth. Besides making sure that the spirits leave on time, she often gives pieces of advice to the Earth-bound spirits.

Then the thought struck me. What if that's part of Heavenly Mother's job? I can see Her now, sitting with people who are preparing for their time on Earth, giving them bits of advice, sending them off with a hug and a kiss for luck; like a mom getting her kids ready for their first day of school. It's a nice thought.

My Beliefs (Parts 13-16)

2011-01-09T17:39:00.005-06:00

These are the thirteenth through sixteenth questions from the Belief-O-Matic. My answers, and why I chose them, follow.

Question #13
Elective abortion should be accepted (not proclaimed or treated as immoral).
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

Electing to have an abortion can't be an easy thing to go through with. (I haven't a clue, since I've never been in that position.) I can agree that forcing a woman to have a baby after being raped can be rather cruel. True, she could still keep the baby and give it up for adoption, but not every woman can go through with it.
I'm still up in the air about aborting a child destined to have a disability, whether mental or physical. People with disabilitites deserve a chance at life as much as the next person, but I understand that some parents would not be able to handle it. I also wonder how many people are open to the idea of adopting a special needs baby/child.
If I were in a position where I had to decide whether or not to abort a baby I was carrying, I would do a lot of hard thinking and praying on it before I made a final decision.

Question #14
Homosexual behavior should be regarded as immoral or out of harmony.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

I believe some people are born with homosexual feelings, and I believe others opt for it because of bad experiences they've had in their lives. I have friends and an extended family member (that I know of so far) who are gay. I'm happy when they find someone they love, and sad when their relationships end.
I try to love everyone they way God would want me to. After all, we are all His children, whether you're heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgendered, asexual (no sexual feelings at all), intersexual; the list goes on and on. (Heck, until the past couple years, I was only aware of the gender binary.)
I agree that if everybody deserves the same freedoms, then everybody deserves the right to get married, or to adopt a baby. I would attend a same-sex ceremony for somebody I'm close to if I had the chance. (I actually had one last year, but wasn't able to attend.) I would support my gay friends and family if they decided to start a family.
Despite all this, I just can't bring myself to fully embrace homosexuality and all that goes with it, if that makes any sense. It's something that I still have to make some decisions on.

Question #15
Roles for women and men should be proscribed.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

I'm not sure why I agreed with that statement. I guess it's just because that's a part of my religion, as well as most other religions.

Question #16
Divorce and/or remarriage should be restricted or punished or condemned.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

I think divorce needs to be an option, and absolutely necessary in some cases. No one deserves to be shamed because they divorced.

2011-01-08T18:25:00.003-06:00

Taking a break from the My Beliefs posts. I have a habit of reading all my religious blogs on Saturdays, and one of them is a group blog called Wheat & Tares (it's in my sidebar). Yesterday, Bored in Vernal posted about a website called Agitating Faithfully. The site is "devoted to gender equality in the church", the idea being extending the priesthood to the women of the church.

Over 50 people (at the time of this writing) have signed their names to the list, apparently including one in the next stake over from mine. The name of the website comes from an interview with former prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. In an interview, someone asked him if it would be possible for the rules to one day change, allowing women to hold the priesthood. His answer: "Yes. But there's no agitation for that. We don't find it." Basically, it's possible that someday women will have the priesthood, but there hasn't been much said about it.

I think it'd be nice to have some sort of authority to use the laying on of hands in an official capacity to bless someone who needs help. For example, if my husband is having a really bad day, which happens often with fibromyalgia, it'd be nice if I could give him a blessing of comfort. Or if we have kids one day, I'd like to be able to give them a blessing if the husb weren't available. (Where he'd go with all the pain he's in I don't know. It's just wishful thinking, after all.)

At any rate, I wish Agitating Faithfully the best of luck in getting people to talk about one of the big questions facing the church today. I may one day add my list to the names.

My Beliefs (Part 12)

2011-01-01T22:05:00.004-06:00

This is the twelfth question from the Belief-O-Matic. My answer, and why I chose it, follows.

Question #12
Choose ALL statements below that represent your beliefs.
-Adhere strictly to the rites, practices, precepts, commandents, prohibitions, laws, sacraments, or ordinances of the faith to be rewarded after life.
-All, even the wicked, are rewarded after life (e.g., go to heaven, merge with God) as God(s) is infinitely good and forgiving.
-Extinguish all cravings, attachments, and ignorance, or rid oneself of all impurities, to become fully enlightened.
-Learn all life's lessons through rebirths.
-Realize your true nature as purely spirit (or soul) and not body, as one with the Absolute, Universal Soul.
-Live very simply; renounce worldly goals and possessions.
-Tap the power of the Ultimate (God, or the divine), through intercessory methods such as psychics, channeling, tarot cards, crystals, magic.
-Humankind is "saved" through human effort rather than through religious or spiritual means.

I picked the first option because that's what I try to do each day. I try to be nice to others, pray daily, not put bad things into my body, pay my tithing each month. And it's not just my religion. I'm sure Catholics try to pray daily, be nice to others, go to church each week, and try to do what else the church asks of them. Buddhists try each day to do what they're taught. We all pretty much believe that if we do as we are asked, we will receive some sort of reward when we're done with this life.

I also picked the second one because it's something I've been taught. We are all spirit sons and daughters of God and He wants us to return to Him one day. Except for a few that will be cast into outer darkness (and I'm sure it's something rare, since you'd practically have to have talked with God face to face and know for a surety that He exists, then deny His existence afterwards to qualify), we will all inherit some form of reward on the other side. I don't think all Mormons are going to heaven simply because that's where we were baptized in life, just as I don't think all athiests are going to hell simply because they don't believe in a higher power. No matter who we are, we will all have to answer for our actions here on earth. No matter what religion we professed to be, in essence we'll all go to heaven because God loves us all.

Even though it's not a major tenant of my religion, I also chose option six. I commend people like Catholic nuns who are so devoted to their religion that they give up worldly possessions to live a life of simplicity. In that respect, they're doing a much better job of it than I am.

My Beliefs (Parts 8-11)

2010-12-19T19:09:00.002-06:00

These are the eighth through eleventh questions from the Belief-O-Matic. My answers, and why I chose them, follow.

Question #8
Worship:
-The Supreme Power, God or Gods.
-God - three persons of one essence.
-God the Father, His Son, the Holy Spirit - each a distinct essence.
-Not applicable.

I have been taught all my life that God the Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are separate from each other, but make up the Godhead together. When I pray, I pray to God, in the name of Jesus Christ, and listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
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Question #9
Baptism (or initiation) ceremonies:
-Required
-Not required
-Not applicable

I was baptised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when I was eight years old. I suppose that, were I to choose to join another religion, I'd like to have some sort of formal welcome, be it through a baptism or another form of initiation. I think it would make me feel as if I were really a part of that particular community.
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Question #10
Regularly confess or repent:
-All sins/wrongs to a cleric
-All sins/wrongs, but not neccessarily to a cleric.
-Not applicable.

I don't think that you need confess every little slip-up to a cleric. With some things, a confession between yourself and God/the Universe is enough to suffice. I think it's the bigger sins you need to think more about bringing up to whatever clergy person you look to for guidance.
--------------------

Question #11
Doing good works/deeds and acting compassionately is:
-Necessary
-Not necessary
-Not applicable

I think it's absolutely necessary to to good things for others. The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", is one of the most quoted and universal commandments out there, no matter the religion or society. Then there's the parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto Me." We have to remember that every person on this earth is a child of God, no matter what kind of person they are.

My Beliefs (Part 7)

2010-12-19T18:57:00.003-06:00

This is the seventh question from the Belief-O-Matic. My answer, and why I chose it, follows.

Question #7
Why is there so much suffering in the world? Choose ALL that apply.

-The originl disobedience of Adam and Eve caused all minkind to inherit mortality, which includes bodily imperfection, illness, and decay.
-Suffering is part of God's divine will, plan, or design (to discipline, test, challenge, strengthen faith, strenghten character, promote moral growth, or for reasons that we cannot or may not know).
-Suffering is a state of mind (or illusion); only our spiritual nature is real.
-Spiritual or cosmic imbalance and disharmony may result in suffering.
-Unwholsome thoughts and/or deeds (greed, hatred, and violence) in this or prior lives return as suffering (karma).
-None of the above; human suffering has nothing to do with the supernatural or karma.

I chose the first two options because they're closest to what I was taught, and they make sense to me. I felt a little tug towards the karma option, but I can't quite make myself choose that option.

There are consequences to the actions we take each day. If you jump off the roof of a two story building, chances are you are going to be injured and have to suffer for it. Sometimes just one thing can happen to you, say develop an infection, and you can suffer for years because of it. (You can ask my husband about this, as it's something that has happened to him.) In the first case, you have to learn from your mistakes and either never do it again, or take better precautions before doing it again. In the second case, this bought of suffering could be a lesson in patience (which this certainly has been).

I know there are infinitely more cases of suffering in the world besides broken bones and chronic pain. The phrase, "or reasons that we cannot or may not know" tends to be my main thought when something bad happens to someone else. I don't see why my husband has to go through the pain and suffering he's going through. I don't know when he'll be free of the pain, or whether it will be through a cure, management, or death. I have to believe that there's a reason he's going through this, and that I just have to wait it out and see.

(Okay, I didn't set out to make this personal, but I can't think of another way to end this post at the moment. If I do, I'll be sure to update it.)

My Beliefs (Parts 5 and 6)

2010-12-12T23:10:00.005-06:00

These are the fifth and sixth questions from the Belief-O-Matic. My answers, and why I chose them, follow.

Question #5
Why is there terrible wrongdoing in the world? Choose one.

-Humans inherited sinfulness, or a damaged nature, or tendency to yield to Satan's temptations from Adam and Eve, who commited the original sin against God.
-Wrongdoing results from God-given free will plus a weak side, or a drive to satisfy personal needs, which sometimes results in wrongful choices (and/or vulnerability to Satan's temptations).
-Ignorance of one's true existence as pure spirit and as one with the Universal Truth (or soul, mind, etc.), can lead to wrongdoing.
-Not listening to the voice of God, who resides within all, can lead to wrongdoing.
-Egoism (self-importance) leads to desire, craving, and attachments, which can lead to unwholsome thoughts and behavior, i.e., greed, hate, and violence.
-No supernatural or spiritual reasons. Human nature, psychology, sociology, criminology, etc., explain wrongdoing. Or not sure. Or not important.
-None of the above.

We don't believe that it was a terrible thing for Adam and Eve to eat the fruit. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have been able to have children, and would never know good or evil. We believe that we came here to Earth with free agency: to choose for ourselves what we'll do in life.
I can also agree with the fourth statement. While I don't necessarily believe that God Himself is in all of us, I do believe that the Holy Ghost is always with us, who is known as the spirit of God.
I also agree with the fifth statement. We know the difference between good and evil, and can choose between the two. One of the most well-known scripture in the LDS church is in the Book of Mormon. Mosiah 3:18 starts out by saying that "the natural man is an enemy to God". (In that sense, I can agree with that particular portion of the sixth option.) Even at a young age, children are greedy, they lie, steal, hurt others. If we let our negative emotions get in the way, we can choose to do wrong instead of right.
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Question #6
Satan's presence results in much suffering.
-Agree
-Disagree
-Not applicable

Admittedly, this is something I've been taught as a child, though I can't say for sure that it does, having not being in a position to personally experience it. Nevertheless, I can't help but believe that this is true.

My Beliefs (Part 4)

2010-12-12T22:16:00.002-06:00

This is the fourth question from the Belief-O-Matic. My answer, and why I chose it, follows.

Question #4
What happens to humans after death? Choose one.

-Souls are judged immediately for a foretaste of heaven or hell. At the final judgement, God (or Christ) will ressurect and judge all for heaven or hell. (Or souls may also be judged for punishment and/or purification before heaven.)
-Death results in unconsciousness until, at the final judgement, God (or Christ) will raise the living righteous to heaven; resurrect and destroy the wicked on earth; return the righteous paradisal earth for eternity.
-Souls don't survive death. God (or Christ) will resurrect the righteous at the final judgement for eternity in heaven or on a paradisal earth; the wicked will remain dead.
-The soul's spiritual development continues after death so that all may eventually experience the indescribable closeness to God. Hell is not a place but the tormented state of remoteness from God.
-Rebirths occur (continually, or until all life's lessons are learned and one merges with the life force, or until complete enlightenment and eternal bliss are obtained).
-There is definitely an afterlife, but the specifics cannot be known or are unimportant--most important is one's conduct in life.
-No afterlife; no spiritual existence beyond life; noliteral heaven or hell. Or not sure. Or not important.
-None of the above.

I chose the first answer because it's closest to what I've been taught. I also would have included the fourth option if I were given the opportunity to choose more than one. I've heard it said that we can continue to better ourselves once we get to the other side, and I think that being out of God's presence could be miserable.

I love to read near-death experiences and about what people have seen when they pass through the veil of mortality. The ones I've read all seem to include the same things: being greeted by loved ones, sometimes seeing deity or an angel, the life review, and all that. Yes, I know that out-of-body experiences have been induced, but some NDEs are so complex, I can't believe that they're just something that happens, or that they're all rubbish. Plus, I don't believe that we just cease to exist after death. I and many others I know have had too many experiences to believe that there is no afterlife.

My Beliefs (Part 3)

2010-12-01T01:30:00.003-06:00

This is the third question from the Belief-O-Matic. My answer, and why I chose it, follows.

Question #3
What are the origins of the physical universe and life on earth? Choose one.

-As in the book of Genesis, God created a mature universe and mature life forms from nothing in less than 7 days, less than 10,000 years.
-As in the book of Genesis, but "day" is not 24 hours, possibly refers to thousands (or even millions) of years, or to creation phases.
-God is creating and controlling the phenomena uncovered by scientists. Or there are other spiritual explanations, not in conflict with scientific discovery.
-Al matter and lifeforms are manifestations (or illusions) of the eternal Absolute (Ultimate Truth, Universal Soul or Mind, etc.)
-Only natural forces (like evolution) and no Creator or spiritual forces. Or not sure. Or not important.
-None of the above.

This particular question asks you to pick only one answer, but I would have picked two if I could. I also would have picked the next answer: "God is creating and controlling the phenomena uncovered by scientists. Or there are other spiritual explanations, not in conflict with scientific discovery." I also think that evolution works itself in there somewhere, but since I don't agree with the rest of the answer, I didn't choose that one.

I'm not quite sure where else to go with this, but if I think of something later, then I'll add on to this post.

My Beliefs (Part 2)

2010-12-01T00:37:00.004-06:00

This is the second question from the Belief-O-Matic. My answer, and why I chose it, follows.

Question #2
Are there human incarnation(s) of God (or of gods/goddesses)? Choose one.

-God is (or gods/goddesses are) supreme, and no incarnations.
-One incarnation.
-Many (or countless) incarnations.
-No particular incarnations because God is all and all are God (or God is in all).
-No incarnations as there is no God. Or not sure. Or not important.
-None of the above.

I had to think about my answer to this question. I would have gone with "God is supreme, and no incarnations" because I don't believe in the Trinity and don't believe that God took on the form of Christ on earth and went back to heaven after His death to be part of the formless mist that is God.

But at the same time, Jesus himself (seperate from God the Father) took on a mortal body, died, and returned again to heaven. I've also been told that Jesus was, more often than not, the God (Jehovah) mentioned in the Old Testament. That makes me believe there was one incarnation of God, just not in the way that most of Christendom believes.

My Beliefs (Part 1)

2010-11-28T20:41:00.007-06:00

A while back, I re-took an online test called the Belief-O-Matic from Beliefnet. I've taken it a few times before, and each time I've matched up with my own religion. This time I decided to write down the questions and my answers. Since the answers you can choose seem to not fully encompass all I believe, I chose to explain why I chose the answers I did.

I intend to make a post for each question and explanation.

Question #1:
What is the number and nature of the deity (God, gods, higher power, etc.)? Choose one.

-Only 0ne God, a corporeal spirit (has a body), supreme, personal God Almighty, the Creator.
-Only 0ne God, an incorporeal (no body) spirit, supreme, personal God Almighty, the Creator.
-Multiple personal gods (goddesses) regarded as facets of one God, and/or separate gods.
-The supreme force is the impersonal Ultimate Reality (or life force, ultimate truth, cosmic order, absolute bliss, universal soul), which resides within and/or beyond all.
-The supreme existence is both the eternal, impersonal, formless Ultimate Reality, and personal God (or gods).
-No God or supreme force. Or not sure. Or not important.
-None of the above.

This is pretty much self-explanatory. I believe in one corporeal God, who created our world. I believe God knows exactly who I am and wants me to return to live with Him one day. I believe He answers my prayers, even though sometimes the answer is no. (It's hard to come to terms with that sometimes.)

Granted, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I was always taught that God was one person seperate from Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost (more on that in another post), so it makes sense that I would choose that answer. While that's true, I've thought about it on my own and have decided that I was taught the truth in that regard.

Update 2010

2010-11-28T20:36:00.004-06:00

I know I haven't updated in a long time; in fact, it's been over a year. I usually delete any blogs I read if they haven't updated in over a year. I probably should have deleted this a long time ago since I'm pretty sure I don't have a lot of readers (hello out there). But I finally had inspiration strike recently, so I think I'll continue for a little while longer.

Anyway, a lot has happened in the past year, the big thing being that the carpet in our building was replaced. My husband has multiple chemical sensitivities, among other things, so we had to start attending church at another building. Interestingly enough, it's the one I grew up in. This year we've been attending my home ward on and off because it's the one that meets later in the day. Next year we'll attend the other ward like we did last year.

With this change in ward came a change in callings. I now update the ward website while my husband readies the ward program each week. I decided to be released from my former calling so I could help my husband attend the other building, since it's such a process. (Who needs kids, right?) Anyhow, we've slowly turned almost less-active, mainly in the fact that we don't go to church as often as we used to. But I think we're going to work on that in the coming months.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T22:59:00.004-05:00

It was pretty good this year. I stayed home from church so I could sleep in, as a gift to myself. My mother-in-law said that at church the sisters had fruits and veggies served to them by the youth who talked about how much they loved their moms. We had pizza for lunch, then I went to my mom and dad's for dinner. I had been there the day before so I could clean up the kitchen for my mom. She had to work this weekend and wanted to get that done, so I did it for her as my Mother's Day gift to her, which she greatly appreciated. My sister's mother-in-law brought stuff over to make for dinner so mom wouldn't have to. My mom gave me a couple new shirts and some nice-smelling hand soap. My missionary brother called and talked to everyone for a while. It was good to hear his voice again; he sounds so much older!

All in all, it was a decent day.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T17:41:00.003-05:00

Yeah, Easter is actually tomorrow, but I don't think I'll have time tomorrow, so here it goes.

I don't think we really have any religious traditions when it comes to Easter in the church. We have Easter lessons for the primary classes, and there are talks on Easter in sacrament meeting, but that's about it. Actually, our stake conference is tomorrow, and general conference was last week, so we'll probably postpone our Easter lessons until next week.

I read a few blog posts this week, one about the Jewish seder (and how the symbolism points to Christ, but it does talk about the ceremony and some of the meaning behind it) and one on a Catholic Easter Mass (which for the life of me, I can't find). I say that because I have experienced both ceremonies.

When I was a kid, maybe about ten or so, my sister and I had a friend a year or so older than I was, whose family was Jewish. We had them over on Passover and they shared the seder ceremony with us. There's a part near the end where a door is opened to let the spirit of Elijah enter the house. Well, I don't know if Elijah made it in or not, but our cat did. ^_^ A friend of mine was baptized into the Catholic church when she was about 19 or so, and I was able to go to the mass for that. The symbolism there is neat as well.

I think it's neat to experience something in a church other than your own, and to feel the same spirit there that you'd feel in your own church.

...

I've been writing this post on and off for a few hours today, and during one of my off times, I got to thinking about how good I've felt when reading about some of these traditions and ceremonies. Now I'm thinking about how neat it might be to include some of these traditions in my own life. I'm not talking about going all out, even though it'd be cool to do so, but to add in bits and pieces into my own worship of God, you know what I mean? The 13th Article of Faith says, "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." President Hinckley also talked about recognizing the truths in other religions, and I know of people who are LDS but also use the truths they see in other religions and incorporate them into their own lives. I don't quite know where I'd start, but it is something to think about.

Anyway, whatever spring celebration you ascribe to, have a good one!

Lovely to see you again...

2009-03-08T21:00:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've updated, and even then the posts are very sparse. But I should probably try to write something.

My husband's family had their monthly home evening tonight, and my mother-in-law gave the lesson. It was about what the church meant to her and ways to better ourselves spiritually. She had us go around the room and have every person say one thing that the church means to them. There were the standards: forgiveness, hope, being together as a family, etc. I had no clue what to say at first. Then something popped into my mind. Because of the church, I know that I am a person of great worth. I am literally a daughter of Heavenly Parents, who love me unconditionally, no matter what. My husband's response had to do with knowing that there is a purpose for just about everything, and knowing that things will get better in time.

I've been teaching the CTR 7s this year, and it's harder than I thought it would be. I know they're not totally mature yet, but I was hoping they'd be at least more grown up than the Sunbeams I used to teach. There are five girls, and sometimes things get out of hand. I've had to come up with some class rules, which I should have done a long time ago. It's kinda sad that I have to tell them not to climb on the table and to leave the chalkboard alone. We had ward conference today, which meant there would be no second or third hour classes, so I slept in. And boy was it a nice break.

Yayness!

2008-12-29T21:20:00.002-06:00

I get to teach an older Primary class next year!

I've been through the nursery/Sunbeam manual at least five times or so, having been in the nursery twice and the Sunbeams twice (sometimes for more than a year). I did get to teach the Valiant 9s for a few months with my husband, but that's been the extent of my experience with older kids.

This year, I get to teach the CTR 7s, which consists of four girls that will be turning seven this next year. Instead of the simple lessons I'm used to, like being thankful for plants and trees, I get to teach more advanced concepts, like choosing the right and having faith in Jesus Christ.

Wish me luck!

History repeats itself

2008-12-29T21:15:00.003-06:00

Well, except for a few things.

I read an article today about a Peruvian woman who gave birth on Christmas morning. That's not the interesting part, though. Her name was Virgen Maria (Virgin Mary), and she named her son Jesus Emanuel. His father is not named Joseph, but he is a carpenter.

By the way, Merry (Belated) Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T10:08:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for so many things; too many to list here. The list I came up with last year pretty much covers it all. I can't think of a thing to add, since the little things fall under those twelve categories.

I try to remember every day all the blessings I have, and to thank my Heavenly Father for what I've been given. I can't say that saying, "At least I have X" always makes me feel better on a bad day, but if I want to be uplifted, it can be.

Anyway, enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Thoughts on a sensitive issue

2008-11-14T01:01:00.005-06:00

I believe that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and have a divine nature, regardless of one's gender, sexual orientation, race, creed, etc. As such, we all need to love and respect one another.

I can understand the plight of the LGBT community. Many groups of people have been persecuted for what they believe is right. (Sadly, a lot of it still exists, as has been seen in the news recently, coming from both sides of the argument.) All they want is for their relationships to be seen as normal and accepted by others.

I personally don't care what a person's sexual orientation is. I may not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but I try to be respectful of the decisions of the few people I know who are gay or bisexual (I don't know any transgender/transsexuals). One of the greatest gifts we've been given on this earth is free agency, the ability to be, think, act, worship, and love the way we feel is right for us.

Despite all this, I have a hard time finding myself accepting gay marriage. Yes, I want to love everyone and give everyone the opportunity to do as they wish without recrimination (as long as it's not destructive, i.e. murder), but I cannot vote for something I don't believe is right.

I belong to a religion that has a bit of history when it comes to the definition of marriage. We used to practice polygamy, albeit only in a minor sector of the early LDS community. Still, there were men that had more than one wife. But that was taken away from us. Polyamorous marriages are illegal; a man can only have one wife, and a woman can only have one husband.

Now, I'm not trying to equate our persecution with that of the LGBT community. We Latter-day Saints seem to get along pretty well without polygamous marriages. I don't see a lot of people, LDS or not, trying to get polygamy recognized as a legal definition of marriage (at least, not on the same scale as gay marriage). But gay marriage is something that will not fall by the wayside.

I'm sorry that my trying to be open-minded and fair to all doesn't yet quite extend to gay marriage. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Still, I will use my free agency to believe, and my right as an American to vote, the way that I see fit.

I hope that those who feel so bitter about the passing of Prop 8, and similar other measures taken in other parts of the country, will have their hearts softened, and that they will take their message of tolerance and peace and apply it to this sensitive issue. Remember that you live in a country where you may exercise your right to vote and to try to change things to make this country a better place to live. This particular battle was lost. But what about next time?

MTC, here he comes!

2008-05-28T11:00:00.001-05:00

My oldest younger brother enters the Missionary Training Center today, where he will learn how to share the gospel for the next few weeks. If I'm not mistaken, he officially enter the mission field (Phoenix, Arizona) on the 17th of June, and will be there for the next two years.

We had a family party on Sunday after church. My parents and my brothers flew out to Utah on Monday to spend some time with family, and the three remaining members will be coming home Wednesday night.

I'm so pleased with his decision to go on a mission. He's known for most of his life that he was going to go be a missionary, and I'm excited to see it finally happen.

Good luck on your mission, little brother! I know you'll do great!

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T23:57:00.005-05:00

I would like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my mom and mother-in-law, and to all my friends and other family members with children.

Tomorrow in my ward, all the women age 18 and over will receive some kind of treat to celebrate Mother's Day. Sometimes it's a flower, or some cookies. One year we got huge chocolate bars. Either way, it's a day to recognize mothers (whether they're raising their own children or someone else's) and the young women who will one day be mothers.

It's also the day that the childless women probably dread and stay home so they don't have to deal with it. I can't escape it this year. My mother-in-law is giving a talk, which means that I get to take grandma to the bathroom and back. And I can't escape afterwards, because I teach the Sunbeams (3-4 year olds). The rest of the day is out as well, as we have our monthly family home evening, which will undoubtedly be centered on Mother's Day. Since the husb is making an effort to be with his family, I have to be there, too. I don't know if I'll get a chance to see my mom, but I'm hoping I can at least drop off the card and flowers I have for her. I would love to stay and have dinner with my family, but I don't know if that'll happen or not.

Celebrating Mother's Day gets harder as the years go by. Five years ago, it was no big deal. We'd been married a couple months and were looking forward to our life together. Now we're hardly farther along than we were when we first started. Really, it's not that I don't have kids and others do. It's that I thought that after five years of marriage, we'd at least be looking forward to starting our family. This fibromyalgia has made it difficult for us to do anything to get on our feet. My hope is that all the waiting will make me a better mother than I otherwise would have been had my husband not developed fibromyalgia.

I'd also like to recognize those who have either lost their mothers or whose mothers weren't a positive force in their lives. I can think of three of my friends who are probably having a hard time feeling like they can celebrate Mother's Day without their mothers.

To those of us who don't fit the "Happy Mother's Day" mold, may I wish you all a Happy Strong Women's Day.

I feel so old!

2008-04-02T01:27:00.002-05:00

My oldest younger brother got his mission call last week! He's due at the MTC on May 28th, then off to Phoenix, Arizona for the next two years.

My siblings and I don't really spend a whole lot of time together as just the four of us, and we had a blast hanging out together when we saw Celtic Woman the day he got his call, so we decided that we need to get together a few times to hang out before he leaves.

End of an Era

2008-01-27T22:15:00.000-06:00

I just heard that our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away today at the age of 97. He will be sorely missed, and thought of fondly by many. Surely he was welcomed home by the ones he served so well while he fulfilled his mortal mission, namely our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as well as his wife and other family members, friends, and others who were influenced by him during his lifetime.

He came to St. Louis when I was twelve years old for a big conference of the stakes in the area. I don't remember much about it, but I do remember how funny he was, and how happy I was to have him as a prophet. Under his leadership, the St. Louis temple was constructed, and I remember feeling the Spirit so strongly when it was dedicated. I was later sealed for eternity to my husband there, and felt the Spirit then as well.

He has done so much for the church and influenced many people to better themselves. I know he was a prophet of God, and feel blessed to have lived during his presidency. I send my condolences to his family during this difficult time, and share in their happiness and knowledge of eternal families, knowing that they, and we, will see him again after our missions here on earth are complete.

"This isn't a goodbye, just sort of a 'see you later.'"

2007-12-24T23:04:00.001-06:00

Being Thankful

2007-11-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for:

1. My family. I love them all and am grateful for their love, guidance, and support.
2. My husband. He's my rock, and loves me for who I am, flaws and all, just the way I love him.
3. His family. They have welcomed me with open arms and loving hearts.
4. My friends. I'm happy that they choose to continue their friendship with me, despite my eccentricities. ^_^
5. My life in the Gospel. I love knowing who I am (a daughter of God) and what I can become.
6. My Heavenly Parents. They love me more than I will ever know, and I hope to become the person they desire me to be.
7. My Savior Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection to bring us closer to God is the most loving thing a person has ever done for me.
8. The presence of the Holy Ghost in my life. He has guided me in making good decisions, helped me to know what is true, and comforted me in my times of need.
9. The temple. I'm privileged to be sealed to my family for eternity, and thankful that my husband and I can truly be together forever.
10. The scriptures. They contain great knowledge and have helped me as I try to become a better person.
11. A place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat. I am guarded against the elements, and hope that I can help others to achieve their needs.
12. My job. I have come to know some of the choicest children, and love watching them grow and learn.

The list goes on and on, but those are the blessings foremost in my mind. If I missed anything, I'll be sure to post more later.

Sad news...

2007-08-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

President James E. Faust, 2nd counselor in the General Presidency, passed away this morning. He will be greatly missed.

We're in the news!

2007-06-02T03:23:00.000-05:00

Well, LDS news, at any rate. Meridian Magazine recently wrote two articles about our stake's celebration of the tenth anniversary of the St. Louis temple dedication. One is about the celebration itself, the other about the "Turning the Hearts" program we did in March. Both articles have pictures; the second article didn't have pictures of the part of the program I was in, but did of some of the other parts.

Friday and Saturday are the official celebration days. Here's to the next ten years!

Just in time for General Conference

2007-03-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

Some anti group has recently released a DVD once again trying to spread untruths about our religion. It doesn't surprise me that it's come out the week before we hear from our beloved prophet and others called of God to give us counsel. (I guess it's not enough to stand outside the conference center in Utah and mock what we call sacred.)

FAIR has released a response to the DVD, refuting all the inconsistencies and sometimes outright lies that the "Concerned Christians" try to pass off as what we really believe.

I would hope that my friends would ask me any questions they have about the church. What better way to learn about something than to ask somebody who adheres to it?

A success!

2007-03-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Our program was a success last night! All the performers did a great job, especially in the group I was in (not that I'm partial or anything ^_^). It was a wonderful night that I hope will always stick with those who visited and participated.

Any relation?

2007-03-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

The new missionary in our ward is going to hear that phrase a lot. He's probably heard it a lot in the almost year he's been out and will probably be bombarded with it the rest of his mission.

We had the missionaries over for dinner the other night. When my husband caught sight of the new elder's nametag, he asked why it sounded familiar, so I told him. And the inevitable ensued.

"Any relation?"

"Yeah, he's my brother."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

Our new missionary is the brother of a pretty famous movie director. I'm not sure whether mentioning the name is a good idea, just in case. But if you can guess who, then I might let you in on it. ^_^

St. Louis Missouri Temple Ten Year Anniversary

2007-03-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

This year, we're celebrating the ten year anniversary of the dedication of the St. Louis Missouri temple. As a part of the celebration, our stake is doing a family history program this Saturday evening, which includes a "trip around the world", to places such as the UK, South America, and more, and a program afterwards. It's sure to be fun!

The Visiting Teaching Movie

2007-03-10T20:33:00.000-06:00

No, it's not a film by one of the prominent LDS directors out there, nor is it a sequel to "The Home Teachers". It can actually be found on You Tube. From the website: "Tucker Dansie's short film created for the Murray 33rd Ward Visiting Teaching Conference." Any of these scenarios look familiar?

Oh dear...

2007-02-13T11:38:00.000-06:00

I read today that Mitt Romney has announced that he's going to run for president.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I do know two things: If it comes down to him as Republican candidate, I'm not going to vote for him just because he shares my religion. I also know that I really know nothing about him, so I'll have to read more about him, just as I will with the other candidates, then make my decision from there.

This subject has come up in various LDS blogs and message boards, and the general concensus seems to be that it might bring up negative press about the church. A recent opinion poll (recent being within the past couple months) states that a majority of people would not vote for an LDS president. Because of all this, I seriously doubt he'll get very far in the race for US President, but I do wish him luck, just as I do with all the candidates.

New look!

2007-02-01T01:47:00.000-06:00

The church website has been redesigned and looks really good. Check it out!

Wish I'da been there...

2006-10-28T17:56:00.000-05:00

After Stake Conference last Sunday, we were supposed to have the entire stake meet up at the temple to have our picture taken. Unfortunately I was sick (still have a cough), so was unable to join in the fun. I'm sure I wasn't the only one unable to attend.
My mother-in-law said it was a neat experience.

We read the Book of Mormon together as a stake a year or so back and gave away over 5,000 copies, so this was a way to celebrate reaching our goal.

New grand-niece!

2006-08-25T01:46:00.000-05:00

I got to meet my new grand-niece on Sunday at our big family home evening! She's a little thing, I think my niece-in-law said she was up to eight pounds now, with big eyes and a strong set of vocal cords! ^_^ She's so cute! She's being blessed next Sunday, so we'll attend my nephew's ward and probably go to their house afterwards to mingle.

For those of you who have stumbled on my blog and are wondering about the baby blessing I mentioned, let me explain. Our religion does not practice infant baptisms. Instead, "[b]abies are given a special blessing shortly after they are born, in which their names are recorded and they are given words of blessing for their life on earth. This blessing is given by one who holds the priesthood, which in many cases is the infant’s father, or another priesthood holder close to the family. It is usually performed in sacrament meeting on the first Sunday of the month" (from www.mormon.org).

The priesthood holder is usually accompanied by other men, typically members of the family or friends, that hold the priesthood. I've heard of cases where fathers who don't hold the priesthood have held the baby in the prayer circle, but I haven't had that experience first-hand. I seem to remember reading about some mothers holding the baby in the circle, but I couldn't begin to tell you where. I wouldn't mind holding my future babies in the prayer circle when they're being blessed, but I'd probably also like having someone else hold the baby for a while. ^_^

Congrats Benji Schwimmer!

2006-08-17T02:32:00.000-05:00

Benji was chosen as America's #1 Dancer on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance last night. Great job and keep up the good work!

While on his mission to California, my oldest nephew helped to re-activate him in the church, and they still keep in touch. I learned while writing this post that there will be a tour in the fall, and the top ten finalists will be performing in venues across the country. They'll be here in St. Louis on 21 September. I wonder if my nephew could get him to come back to St. Louis and speak at a fireside before he goes off to Las Vegas... (Riiight... ^_^)

Dance Hall Days Revisited

2006-07-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

Remember that post I did recently about youth dances? Then do I have a video for you!

How many of these dance moves do you remember? Do you still know any of them?

Ancestry

2006-06-25T02:35:00.000-05:00

The church is known for family history, tracing family lines back to decades, hundreds, even thousands of years before our birth, to discover our heritage and gain a better understanding of where we came from. We know that we are children of Heavenly Parents who love us and want us to return to them again one day. But many don't know who we are as a matter of earthly lineage.

Gma B (dad's mom) and Papa (mom's dad) were the genealogists of the family. Gma B had tons of family history from hers and Gpa B's families, and Papa had done some research into his family line as well. Papa and Nana adopted mom after she was born, and all we have on her biological families are the names of her parents. We do have some work done for her adoptive family, but I would like to know more about her biological family, especially for medical reasons. One of these days I may break down and get a subscription to Ancestry or something like that and trace her family lines.

Gma B had a lot of family history work done before she passed. From her side of the family come some French and Native American lines, among others. The Native Americans in our family are of the Kaskaskia tribe, which from what I understand originated in Wisconsin, traveled to Illinois, then eventually became a part of the Peoria tribe in Oklahoma. My 9th-great-grandmother, Aramepinchone, was daughter of a tribal chief, Mamenthouensa, and an unknown mother. She was a key element in helping members of her tribe convert to Christianity, namely Catholicism. She married a French fur trader, Michel Accault, according to her father's wishes. She initially rejected the idea and was thrown out of her father's home, because she wished that her heart only be given to God and not any mortal man. But when she realized that she could help her tribe learn from the missionaries and convert to Christianity, she consented.

My family line comes from her second marriage to Michel Phillipe, another fur trader. It has been said that she eventually married one or two other men; quite a turn around from a woman who wanted only to belong to God! But her heart was still with Him as she helped others find Christianity. When she passed to the other side, she was given the honor of being buried under her pew in the church she attended, an honor that no other woman in that time had been given.

Of all the heritage in my family, I know more about the Native American lines than any others, mainly because we have such a great tie to that line. You could probably fit all the Native American blood in my body into my pinky finger, but it is there. I love learning about the culture of the Kaskaskia, even though there's little to be found. Along with a Kaskaskia-to-French dictionary, my dad has some text, I think a book, on his computer about the Kaskaskia, but I haven't read it in a long time. I'm grateful to the Catholic church and the records they kept, so my family could know more about our Native American heritage, and so we could have their work done in the temple.

Happy Father's Day

2006-06-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dance Hall Days

2006-06-17T00:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, so they were cultural halls, but we still danced in them.

I have a diverse list of music on my prefered player (Musicmatch Jukebox), and just for fun, I've been listening to some 90's dance music. It struck me how many of these songs I heard as a youth at those dances (spring 1997- summer 2001). Not familiar with 90's dance music? If you've ever seen the SNL skits with the Roxbury Guys, the song heard in the background is Haddaway's "What Is Love?, a song that came out in 1993.

Whenever I think of the kind of music they played at our stake dances, that song is one of the first to pop into my mind. I also think of "Where Do You Go?" by No Mercy, "Another Night" by The Real McCoy, and especially "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex. We also listened to dance standards like "Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)" by Marcia Griffiths and "YMCA" by The Village People. When they became popular, we also danced to the "Macarena Remix" by the Bayside Boys, and the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper.

I sometimes wonder if any of these songs are still played at the dances, and if any will endure to when my future children attend. I know we'd get a handful of disco songs that my parents listened to when they were youth, so maybe it's possible.

So I went to a wedding last weekend...

2006-06-09T02:50:00.000-05:00

And the Spirit was so strong! It was easy to feel the love of God pouring out over the young couple, my friend Athene and her now husband, making their vows of love in front of family and friends.

But it wasn't a temple wedding, the couple aren't members of the Church, but the Spirit was all around us in the beautiful garden where the ceremony took place. I can't think of another time where I've been to a non-LDS church function and felt the power of the Holy Ghost so strong.

Athene, her sister Moueska, and their brother Tarrith lost their mother to breast cancer about five years ago, and I know for a fact that she was there. It was easy to picture her standing next to her daughter, with a smile on her face and her eyes beaming with joy, as she watched her eldest daughter marry the love of her life.

The reception was almost rained out, but with prayers by staff and guest alike, we only got a few drops. The chef and co-owner of the bed and breakfast where the wedding and reception took place told some of us later that he and a few others remembered that Jesus said (Matthew 18:20 KJV) , "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them", and prayed in His name that the rain would come again some other time. I think I would be in big trouble with my Father in Heaven if I were to say that it was pure luck, or "just a coincidence" that the rain stopped soon thereafter.

I wish Athene and her husband the best of luck and many years of a loving and prosperous marriage. I know God loves you both and will bless you!

Happy Woman's/Mother's Day!

2006-05-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

First, for all us who are not yet mothers, no matter what the case, I wish us all a Happy Woman's Day!
And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.

Happy Easter!

2006-04-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 176th Birthday!

2006-04-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on this date one hundred and seventy-six years ago. What started out as six people in a log cabin has grown to over 12 milion members. Here's to many more years!

Sister T

Polygamy Loves Company

2006-03-12T20:22:00.000-06:00

I've been hearing a lot about the new TV show coming to HBO tonight. If you haven't, let me bring you up to speed.

Big Love is a show about a man in Salt Lake City with three wives and seven kids. Each wife has their own home and he has enough money to provide for all three families. Bill Paxton plays husband of wives Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin, respectively.

The Church has come out with a statement about the show with three points: concern for abuse victims, confusion over the continued practice of polygamy, and concern over the moral standards of television entertainment. More can be found at the Church's website.

If I had HBO, I'd be able to go into more detail about the show and what's going on in the lives of the characters. We have cable, but I wouldn't want to add the channel just to see what the show's about. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, maybe an hour a day, if at all. It'd be interesting to see just how the show plays out, but for now I'll have to hear about it by word of mouth.

Looking for modesty?

2006-02-12T23:57:00.000-06:00

I must admit, I wore some unmodest tops as a youth. In the eyes of the world, they were more modest than most, but it was pushing the envelope otherwise. I had a spaghetti-strap tank I bought on a band trip, but I only wore it a handful of times. I had a big bust, and the tops I wore tended to accentuate the fact that I was well endowed. The majority of them were pretty tight, and a few of them had some low necklines (or both). I haven't changed much physically since then, so I've been able to wear some of them as a married woman.

Well, being an LDS woman married in the temple brought on a major change. I had to be careful with the tops I wore, or else I'd end up annoncing my religion to half the free world. For the past two summers, I'd wear a jacket whenever I went places to avoid doing just that (even upstairs when I was with my in-laws; downstairs with hubby was a different story`_^). But this summer, I'd like to do something different, and I'm doing it a bit at a time.

I was fortunate enough last year to find a tee shirt (Arizona Jean) that had a higher neckline and stretched past my hips. I loved the freedom to move and not have to worry about making anybody blush. Last month, I decided to take advantage of a gift card to JC Penney I got for Christmas (thanks Lar!) and went in search of a couple cute tops. I found two tees from the same company, one white and one taupe, and brought them home to try on (I was headed for work after my shopping trip and needed to get there on time). Well, they covered very well, but were quite translucent. My hubby didn't mind, but being able to see underneath it was kinda counterproductive, so I decided to just use them as undershirts, and they work very well.

I was curious last night, so went in search of websites that sold modest tops. I actually found a Modest Clothing Directory that had lists of websites that sold exactly what I was searching for (the site quipped that we, the Latter-day Saints, "have the monopoly on this market" and have "everything in white", refering to modest wedding and prom dresses). But we're not the only ones who want to dress modestly and, in most cases, stylishly. There are also links for the Islamic, Jewish, Catholic, Simply Dressed Christian, and Plain communities.

Check the page and click the links. If you've bought from any of these sights before, let me know! Depending on the availability in my area of the country to find these kind of tops, I may end up buying online. We'll see...

Enjoy!

2005-12-30T04:05:00.000-06:00

I saw a fun quiz on someone's MySpace profile and took it myself. I am a...

Perfect Mormon
8 Orthodoxy, 5 LDS knowledge, 12 Cultural homogeneity

Orthodoxy ranges from (-) anti-, non- and liberal Mormon, to mainstream, conservative, and fundamentalist Mormon (+).

The obedient Latter-day Saint.

Temple recommend in hand, you live the gospel every day. Like a city on a hill, you remember the slogan every member a missionary. You beat your peers in seminary scripture chase, and you look forward to (or fondly remember) your beautiful temple wedding.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 89% on Orthodoxy
You scored higher than 90% on LDS knowledge
You scored higher than 93% on Homogeneity

Link: The what kind of Mormon are you? Test written by SLC-Mike on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

I try to live the gospel every day, but since I am human, I don't always succeed. I keep trying, though.
I find it very hard to be a missionary, since I'm so shy and don't think my friends would be interested. But they are respectful of my beliefs, so I guess that counts for something.
I was okay in the scripture chases, but there were so many others who were so much better at it.
I do fondly remember my temple wedding! So much happened that day...

Note: Some of the pages may contain adult advertisements or uncouth language. Proceed with caution...

2005-12-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

You don't look 200, Joseph...

2005-12-23T13:46:00.000-06:00

Today, the church (and, most likely, it's various splinters) celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of our first prophet, Joseph Smith. Now, in no way does this overshadow the traditional celebration of the birth of Christ. Our current prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, said: "We do not worship the Prophet [Joseph]. We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ. But we acknowledge the Prophet; we proclaim him; we respect him; we reverence him as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty in restoring to the earth the ancient truths of the divine gospel, together with the priesthood."

We're not the only ones who are aware of this anniversary. Wikipedia's featured article today is on his early life. Earlier this week, a friend of mine sent me a link to an NPR broadcast with Richard Bushman, who recently wrote a biography on Joseph called Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Newsweek had an article about it in October. And I got an e-mail the other day about a statue being dedicated today in New York of the prophet.

I am very grateful for the restoration of the Gospel, and that I have it in my life. And to think, it all started because a young man wanted to know which church to join. Thank you, Brother Joseph!

James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Out with the old...

2005-12-18T23:35:00.001-06:00

I was realeased today after a year and a half in the nursery with the precious children of our ward. When Sister B called me this morning asking me for my input on the graduation of the soon-to-be-Sunbeams we had today, she said she heard I was being released. The sister who took my place (another sweet gal) told Sister B that she had recently been called into the Nursery, so Sister B naturally assumed I already knew I was being released. I didn't. ^_^

When the *bishop's family came over for dinner a few months ago, he said, "We need to get you out of the nursery," and I told him, "Maybe one of these days". I figured I'd be in there for another year. Thankfully it didn't come as a complete shock when, sure enough, they announced that I was being released today. I had a lot of people saying they were going to miss having me there. We've had a couple releases and calls this year in the nursery, but I was the one constant.

While I'll miss being with those sweet spirits, I'll also get to look forward to sitting with my hubby each Sunday. This year's schedule hasn't worked for him because church starts so early (his health makes it hard to get up before noon), but next year we start later in the day, so it should be easier for him to attend. I'm grateful that I've had this time to work with the nursery-age children. It's given me some experience with that particular age group that I'll need when Mira and I eventually start our family. It's been fun being a teacher to them and I know that at least a few of them will remember me. I know I'll remember them.

*The bishop is the leader of the ward, or congregation.

"An Incredible Journey"

2005-11-22T20:40:00.000-06:00

"A Guided Tour of the Spirit World" by Lyse Sonning

I re-read this book for a third time recently (it was in my MIL's book collection). Long story short, Ms. Sonning has had contact with her guardian angel Martha, who describes the spirit world in great detail. It's a rather quick read at 100 pages in nine chapters and an epilogue; it could probably be read in an afternoon. There are two chapters near the end with a bunch of questions that people had for Martha and her answers to them.

It was printed in 1993 by New Horizons Publishing and Recording Co. I've tried looking for both online, but there weren't very many sites selling the book, and the publishing company is probably now defunct. I don't know if anybody else has read it besides me, Mira, his mom, and probably her mom (his grandma gave it to his mom). We're probably in a minority, as it doesn't appear to be a very well-known book.

Something different

2005-10-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

When Mira and I were dating, we went to Institute on Halloween. We even got to dress up. ^_^ The first year that we were married, we went trick-or-treating. Last year, we stayed home because it was Sunday. This year, we plan on somehow honoring our ancestors. We're not sure how we'll do that, maybe by doing some genealogy or reading/telling stories about our ancestors, or something. Does anybody else do this or have ideas on what we can do?

General Relief Society Meeting

2005-10-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

LisaB over at FMH posted her thoughts on the General Relief Society Meeting that was held last Saturday, and asked others to comment on how they felt about it. I started to comment, but it turned into a post, so I thought I'd post it on my own blog.The one problem I had was that it took until the very last talk to mention those of us who don't fit the not yet married, married with children, married with grandchildren, widowed, or divorced mold: those of us who are married but don't have kids!

I'm one of two married couples in our ward without children. I'll admit that I probably shouldn't have anything to complain about. To my knowledge, I'm still capable of having kids; I'm not infertile, nor do I have any problems that keep me from getting pregnant. I've never had a miscarriage, or gone through pregnancy resulting in a stillborn, or lost a child to SIDS or something else. Really, I should have nothing to complain about.

But I do. My husband is at the moment incapable of raising a family. His health keeps him from doing most anything, actually. He's had health troubles since Christmas Day of 2003, almost two years ago! We get new theories every once in a while, but the treatments never seem to help for long. He can’t go out because he hurts and tires easily. He also can’t eat out at restaurants because so much of the foods are made with soy, sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, and many other ingredients that he can’t eat. He also has troubles doing the things he loves so much because of the pain. He can’t draw, he can’t play the piano, and even playing video games becomes tiring after a while.

I'm grateful that James E Faust remembered to include us sisters in his talk. We were told that we can be as mothers and help others in a motherly way, and that we can be blessed in our efforts in doing so. I was touched, but the natural woman in me was saddened, because it's just not the same as actually being a mother. And being reminded that if I remain faithful, then I can reach the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom and have children then doesn't help either.

It doesn't bother me much the first half of my cycle, but during the second half, it really hits home. I think the PMS fuels it and makes it harder for me to bear. I am grateful that my husband can tell when I'm sad and we can talk about things together. I needed that last night when I heard that my sister's sister-in-law, who got married last month, is pregnant. At the rate things are going, my oldest nephew's wife will have a baby before I do.

This has turned into rambling on on my part, but I needed to get this out of my system. It just doesn't seem fair that we do all we can to be strong in the gospel and our needs don't seem to be met. I truly have been blessed to have a wonderful family, both on my side and on my hubby's, and that my in-laws have been kind enough to let us share their home until we can get on our feet and venture out on our own. I've been blessed with a good job and relatively good health. Most important of all, I've been blessed to be married to my sweet loving husband in the temple, and I'm grateful for the love he shows to me every day, especially when I need it most. I just wish this didn't bug me as much as it does...

Changes to HFPE in 2006

2005-09-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

I first heard about this on an iVillage message board I lurk on (LDS Family Life). Apparently some changes are going to be made starting 1 January 2006 in the Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment program. (For non-members reading this blog, HFPE is a monthly meeting of all the sisters 18+ in the Relief Society. It's a way to get together with the other women in the ward.) The idea is that monthly Enrichment nights (for all sisters) will instead be quarterly, with Enrichment activities "for sisters with similar needs and interests" as needed. This should be interesting...

Ward Temple Day

2005-09-19T21:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Ward Temple Day, and I haven't been since through November when my nephew went through (not counting the wedding a couple weeks ago, since I didn't do a session), so I'm going with my mother-in-law. We'll be there from 9 am to 3 pm, so I have to make sure I bring my work clothes with me, since I work at 4:00. It'll be nice to go and be in such a peaceful place for six hours.

Two days until eternity...

2005-09-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

On Thursday afternoon, my sister's sister-in-law will be sealed to her sweet fiance in the St. Louis temple. Good luck and congrats!

Pre-dates Christianity?

2005-08-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Opinion warning! This post contains my opinion. I do not want to start a debate. If you don't agree with me, you can say so. But I will not get into a debate with anybody. Uncalled for comments will not be tolerated. If you start bashing, your comments will be deleted.

I've been reading Dan Brown recently. I started with The Da Vinci Code, then read Angels & Demons (A&D is actually first). Both are good books, and very entertaining. I thought a lot when I read TDVC, mainly about the whole "Christianity didn't exist until after Christ's death and lots of Christian ideas were taken from other religions" thing.

Mind you, this is my totally non-professional, just me, an average LDS woman's opinion here, so bear with me. I don't think anything pre-dated Christianity. It always has been, ever since Adam and Eve.

See, when Adam and Eve were here on earth, they had the knowledge and they taught it to their children. But like a game of telephone, the original message was changed as it went forth, and by the time there were people all over the earth, the message was almost unrecognizable. Some of the original message was still intact, but a good portion of it was lost. Other religions on the earth have idealogies similar to LDS belief. This is one that really stands out to me:

*As Latter-day Saints, we are taught that Heavenly Father has a wife.
*We have cultures that include goddess worship.

This was the central theme of TDVC. I don't know why we are told to not pray to or worship our Heavenly Mother. Maybe we already do by praying to our Father, since He and Mother have been sealed for all eternity and are one in body and spirit, much like LDS couples that have been sealed in the temple, just on a much grander scale. But this is only speculation on my part.

So, that's a chapter of the Gospel According to Sister T. I suck at conclusions, so I'll just end it here. Again, this is my opinion, so let me have it.

Welcome back, Jay!

2005-07-21T01:33:00.000-05:00

My 2nd oldest nephew "Jay" came home today from a two-year mission to Russia. My mother-in-law says he does have a Russian accent. (Not all missionaries that go to foreign lands come back with accents. Mira didn't, but he did have a tendency to slip into Spanish without realizing it.)
I don't think he'll remember who I am. When Mira and I got married, he was away at school. I think I saw him once, and that was when he came home for his farewell before he left to go to Russia. He'll also get to meet his oldest cousin's wife, who married into the family almost a year ago (sweet gal).
Anyway, congrats to Jay on an honorable mission, and welcome home!

We did it!

2005-06-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

We reached our goal, and gave out more than 5,000 copies as a stake. Our ward gave out over 700.
Way to go!

Off topic: I'm a regular over at iVillage, and I lurk on the LDS Family Life board from time to time. A current post concerns how close we've come to fame. So have I ever met someone famous? Yes I have. Well, sorta. When I was a youth, John Bytheway came to a youth fireside, and I got his autograph on a very small scrap of paper that I keep in my scrapbook.
Also, my husband (then my fiance) tuned the piano at the Stake center for a fireside by Marvin Goldstein. My bridal shower was the day before the fireside, and I went to the SC afterwards to see Mira so we could go to his house (now our home) and unload some of the gifts I received. I saw Marvin the next day at my chapel, and I wanted to go tell him that Mira had tuned the piano he was to be using that night, but I was too nervous to get anywhere near him. He is a wonderful pianist, and a very funny guy!
As far as being in the spotlight myself, I was on TV twice. The first was my junior year of high school, and I was in the school musical. We were performing Groovy, "a musical comedy tribute to the 1960's". Anyway, the day or so before the performance, the whole cast got together and advertized on one of the local early morning news shows. We performed part of the opening number before a commercial break, then a friend of mine and the director gave a small interview later in the broadcast while the rest of us waved wildly at the camera.
Then when I was a Senior in high school, I joined the marching band, and we marched in the Mid-America Holiday Parade. At one point we stopped in front of the same news station where I "made my TV debut" and performed part of our routine. I was way in the background, but that's really where I prefer to be.

90 Day Challenge Ends Tomorrow

2005-06-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the last day for our stake's 90 day reading of the Book of Mormon. There were times when I would go a week or more without reading, then have to catch up, but I did it, and I'm almost done. I haven't read it by myself since before I got married, and that was over two years ago. Mira and I have read a chapter a night since we've been married, and we're almost done with our third time around.
Monday night is Family Home Evening, and a special lesson will be about Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Then at 8:00, the head of each family will lead their family in prayer, and we will express our gratitude for the Restoration. In this way, as a stake, we will mark the 161st anniversary of the death of the prophet and his brother Hyrum.
I regret not having the courage to give out any copies of the Book of Mormon, since that was a part of it. But I hope that I may still have many opportunities in my life to tell others what I know to be true, even if they don't believe it.

New experience

2005-06-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting experience this weekend. I went with my family to my grandmother's (dad's mom) family's annual reunion down by the Current River where my grandmother grew up. Her brother-in-law "Bob" is a minister; the last I heard, he attended a Foursquare church, and I think before that he was a Baptist. (You can tell I'm not too up-to-date on my relatives' lives.)
Anyway, while sunning after swimming with my niece in the river, a bunch of folks started towards the river with talk of a baptism. It seems that a couple (I don't know how they're related to me, but they have a daughter about my niece's age, and Lar talked to her for a bit) had decided to get baptized and Uncle Bob was going to do the honors. He took them both out together, basically gave a mini sermon and said a prayer (I didn't catch all he said; I was too far away and he spoke very softly at times), and under they both went.
This was the second non-LDS baptism that I had ever seen. The first was seeing a friend of mine being baptized into the Catholic church a few years ago. That was pretty cool, but very different than what I was used to. This was a bit more familiar, but it still had its differences. Nobody wore white (Uncle Bob was in blue jeans and a button-up shirt, and the couple wore their bathing suits) and I don't think there was a confirmation. I know the family stood around talking, but I didn't really pay attention to what was going on.
Aside from getting burned to a crisp on just about all but my face, I had a really good time. My niece wanted me to hold her, as usual, and people actually asked me if she was my daughter. Somebody even assumed that I was the one who was expecting, not my sister, since I was holding Book; and being behind my folks didn't help, since nobody could see my tummy and see that I was not four months along. ^_^ I missed my hubby, but I'm hoping he can come next year.

Note for non-members: In an LDS baptism, the baptizer and the baptizee wear white to symbolize purity, and baptism is done by immersion. Afterwards, the baptizee is confirmed by somebody holding the priesthood, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon the individual. Feel free to read more at the official LDS sites in my sidebar.

Congrats to...

2005-05-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

Harold and Sara! We got the invitation in the mail today. They'll be married on 11 June in the St. Louis temple, and have a ring ceremony that evening at our stake center. Here's to an eternity of happiness and love.
~Sister T

Evangelist = Patriarch?

2005-05-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

I was reading about the Community of Christ on their website the other day, just to be curious. It's interesting to see the different ways we see eye-to-eye, but also to see where our doctrines differ. One that jumped out at me is a sacrament that the CoC has that is similar to the patriarchal blessing that a person is given in the LDS church. From what I've been told at the Non-Mormon Latter-day Saints board over at Beliefnet (this post title is named after the thread I started there), the patriarchal blessing was also given to members of the CoC church. What makes the two different is that women were ordained to the priesthood in the CoC in 1985, and the term "patriarch" no longer fit. Instead, they call it the evangelist's blessing. Also, the evangelist's blessing no longer names which tribe one is descended from (as is done in the LDS church), more than one blessing can be obtained throughout a person's lifetime (where in the LDS, a person receives their patriarchal blessing only once), and there is an option for the blessing to be recorded (LDS blessings are recorded).

It's a Mother's Day miracle! ^_^

2005-05-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

My hubby was able to go to Sacrament meeting today! He was only there for an hour, but that was okay, because he was there!
Last night, he asked me what time the other ward that shares our building starts. I looked it up, and they start at 11:30 (we start at 9:00). So he set his alarm so he could go to the other ward for sacrament. (A little FYI: He has a hard time getting up early because of the fibromyalgia. We've been working on getting him to bed and waking up early a few days, and it helps a bit. He hasn't been able to go to church for a long time, and he thought it would be a good idea to attend the other ward to get the sacrament.)
He came back from getting ready for bed a few minutes later and said, "I'm going to our ward tomorrow." I was floored. While he showered, I begged in outward prayer that he would be able to go. After his shower, we said a prayer, mainly asking that he'd feel well enough to go to church the next day, and continued reading in the Book of Mormon where we had left off the other night. The second verse we read was Mormon 9:21 - "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."
And wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning and got myself ready, then hubby woke up and I helped him get ready. When we came upstairs, his dad was going out the door and was happy to see him up. Then his mom saw him. "You're going?" she asked.
"Happy Mother's Day!" he said. Boy was she thrilled! She told us on the ride to church that this was her second favorite Mother's Day. Her most favorite was when my hubby came home from his mission.
So this wasn't such a bad day. ^_^ All the women in the ward got a huge chocolate-almond candybar. I had to leave after he Primary kids sang so I could set up for Nursery, but I was back in time to sing the last hymn. I was so happy that I was able to sit with my husband this Sunday at church, and I'm ever so grateful that our prayer was answered.
So, that's my miracle! Thank you for letting me gush. ^_^

Time for God

2005-04-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

I got this as a handout in Young Women's a number of years ago. The author, from what I've seen online, is unknown, but if somebody knows who the author is, I would truly appreciate knowing who said it.

Hi,
As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work.
I waited again. When you ran around the house getting ready I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.
I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I have hope that you will talk to me.
Yet you went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done you turned on the TV, I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there & you spent a lot of time each day in front of it, not thinking about anything - just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!
Love,
Your Heavenly Father

Let me get a big "Heck yeah"!

2005-04-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

Beliefnet has a corner called Blog Heaven: Where faith blogs go if they're good. Under "General" is a site called holyweblog.com (sporadically reviewing the good, the bad and the quirky in the religious world),
and it had an entry from a country station in Utah that did a spoof of Gretchen Wilson's Redneck Woman, and called it Mormon Woman. This is freakin' hilarious! I couldn't find the lyrics, but I did download the song, and I had to laugh at just about everything. The guy who did it, Robert Lund, is a parody song writer, and performed this very well. It's one of those things you have to hear at least once. So give it a try!

Stake Conference is this Sunday!

2005-04-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

And we're doing something different. I seem to remember them saying something about this between sessions of General Conference, but it was kind of an interesting surprise. Instead of having a regular SC where members of the stake speak, we'll have opening and closing excercises, but the conference will be broadcast from Salt Lake! I'm not sure exactly how it'll work, but I think it's neat.
I'm hoping that hubby can come to SC on Sunday. It'll only be for two hours, and he won't have to get up too early. Well, it'll be early for him (8:30/9:00), but not as early as he would have to for regular church (7:30/8:00).
I've kinda slacked some on my Book of Mormon challenge. I'm a few days behind, but I think Sunday is a good day to catch up on where I should be. I should be up to Mosiah 11 by then.
Mira brought this up to me today. It's amazing how the Lord provides for us. Last month, we realized that I needed to find a job so we can have an income again since he's not fully healed yet. This was my first week at my new job (I work at a day-care/pre-school with 6 week to 8 month olds), and today was payday. Not only did I get my first paycheck, but I also got a check from the Board of Elections Commissioners today for working the polls for this month's elections (5 April). This means I can start paying tithing again, which is a real blessing.
Mira told me about a guy in Peru that was weary about paying tithing. "Just look at [so-and-so]. He pays his tithing and he still lives in the same old house, works at the same old job, can't read." The list went on.
Mira told him (or was it his comp?), "But he has a job that puts food on the table, he has a place to live, and all four of his children have gone to college (which is difficult in Peru)." Paying tithing does not automatically give you tons of money to buy a mansion, an expensive car, and the latest fashions, all things you may want, but it does enable you to get what you need. 10% may sound like a lot to some people, but it might be better than what you have to pay to the government in taxes very year. ^_^

The Modest Prom

2005-04-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

I was reading the headlines of the local newspaper online when an article caught my eye. It was about the tri-stake prom for the Laurels and Priests* that was held this weekend. The authors interviewed some of the youth, and one of the gals they interviewed is the Stake President's daughter, and one of the guys is our ward chorister.
I went to see Phantom of the Opera that night with some of my family and friends (I've seen it three times now ^_^), and when we were talking in the foyer after the movie was over, I asked my dad where one of my brothers was. "Oh, he went to the dance tonight."
"So why didn't [my youngest brother] go?" I asked. My youngest brother is 14, and he can go to the dances now, so I was confused as to why he didn't.
"Because [other brother]'s a priest, and the priest/laurel prom was tonight."
"Oh that's right! He's a... wait! He's a priest?!" It had completely skipped my mind that he's a priest now! Man I feel old. "Don't feel too bad," said mom's friend Rosie. "I remember when you were a bump" she said as she pointed to my tummy. ^_^

*For non-LDS, a Laurel is a young woman in the last two years of the Young Women's program. Beehive girls are 12-13, Mia Maids are 14-15, and Laurels are 16-17. A Priest is the last two years of the Young Men's program. Deacons are 12-13, Teachers are 14-15, and Priests are 16-17.

Update: This weekend, it was on the homepage of the church website! How cool is that?

My condolences to...

2005-04-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

First, Terri Schiavo's family (both sides). I apologize for your loss. She is no longer suffering and you'll see her again one day.
Second, to the family and friends of Mitch Hedberg, my hubby's favorite comedian. He's probably telling jokes to his Creator, and I'll bet He's laughing His head off. ^_^
Finally, to the Catholic people, and the loss of their spiritual leader, Pope John Paul II. May his life be an inspiration to Catholics (and non-Catholics) the world over.

First Vision as NDE?

2005-04-01T18:27:00.000-06:00

I've picked up an interest in Near Death Experiences (NDE's) lately, and found an interesing site that compares Joseph Smith's first vision to a NDE. Even if you don't believe in them, it's worth at least checking out.

I've come to the conclusion...

2005-03-28T22:56:00.000-06:00

that only God knows the intentions of Michael Schiavo's heart, and if his intentions in letting his wife go are not good, then it will be her innocent blood on his hands. And that's all I have to say about it.

Book Review: Mormonville by Jeff Call

2005-03-26T21:12:00.000-06:00

I found this book in the library/guest bedroom upstairs and started reading it last night. I finished it about two minutes ago.
Luke Manning is a major writer for a New York paper and leads a very worldly lifestyle. Jack Kilborn, a man who owns a publishing company, contacts him one day with a premise for a new book: "My Year Among the Mormons: The inside story of America's most powerful cult". Luke is to live in a small county in Utah for one year, infiltrate the church, and uncover and expose any lies. This entitles a lot of lifestyle changes and a lot of acting, but he pulls it off and eventually the members of the Helaman 6th ward think they have a potential convert on their hands.
It's an interesting book; I couldn't put it down. I will advise some members that there is talk among some of the non-member characters about the church in general being a cult and members of the church being polygamists, brainwashed, and all stuff that we know to be untrue. ^_^ It's actually quite humorous. But if you're sensitive to any slight jabs over the church, then there are a few parts you can skip ahead. Especially when Luke has a first discussion with the missionaries and hurls all sorts of comments and questions at them. Just remember that it's only a book, and pray that you never run into people like that. ^_^
Anyway, even though it's a novel about the church, it isn't too preachy. There are characters that are often characteristic of LDS people that we've known or have been been acquainted with. George Durrant was correct when he said in his review, "You will see yourself or your fellow members and leaders on every page." Looking at the church from a non-member's point of view, even one bent on digging up dirt about the church, is an experience in and of itself.
The only real beef I have with the book is when I knew something was going to happen and wasn't surprised when it did. Although that only happened two or three times.
All in all, I found it to be an entertaining book. I'd read it again.

MormonChic.com

2005-03-23T16:54:00.000-06:00

I don't remember how I stumbled onto this website, but I'm glad I did. It has all sorts of interesting subjects for women in the church. It's divided into seven different Chic sections: Gospel (having to do with the church), Deal Diva (shopping tips and tricks), Recipe (delicious recipes to try), Mommy (all about being a mother), Style (for fashionable ladies), Crafty (for the handiwoman), and Healthy (all about health).
There are a variety of articles in each section, and lots of great ideas for Enrichment night (for those outside the church, Enrichment night is one night a month where the sisters 18 and up can go and learn and hang out). There are even Special Topics dealing with holidays, baby 101, weddings, and missionaries. It's definitely worth at least checking it out.

Happy birthday to my stake!

2005-03-21T16:03:00.000-06:00

Our stake celebrated our 25th anniversary this weekend with a variety show on Saturday night (which I missed because I was at a friend's wedding reception), and a fireside last night.
Our stake was organized on 16 March 1980. We have had four Stake Presidents since then, including the current one, and all but the last one were present at last night's festivities. I had never met Vern, the first SP, only heard of him, until last night. George, the second SP is in my ward, Denny, the third SP has moved (to Utah?), and Dave, the current SP grew up with my parents and my sister's mother-in-law. Both stake patriarchs were also present. Fred served for 24 years in the position (my SIL was his first blessing), and John has been there for almost a year. All six men were presented with different tokens of esteem to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
We were told to get there half an hour early to see a slide of different people and events from the past 25 years. I got there two minutes late and missed seeing a picture of my dad's family, but I did see some people I knew. The main piece of the program was a 25th Birthday Tribute to the SP's and a brief history of the stake.
Dave presented us yet again with a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days. We did this last year for the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the stake center. Mira and I tried, but we didn't succeed, as we had trouble remembering and staying on track. I'm going to do it myself, along with our regular reading of the BoM.
Not only are we celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the stake, but also the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth, and the 175th anniversary of the organization of the church and the first printing of the Book of Mormon. Not only are we going to read it as a stake, but in honor of the first 5,000 copies that were printed in 1830, we are going to give out 5,ooo copies from now until 26 June. The next day, all the families of the stake will hold a Family Home Evening about Joseph and Hyrum Smith, on the 161st anniversary of their deaths. Then at 8:00 p.m., we'll kneel in prayer and pray for "gratitude and appreciation for the life of the Prophet, the Restoration and organization of the Church, and the publication of the Book of Mormon" (taken from the info we got from last night). We'll also pray for those who received a copy of the book that they'll read it and gain a testimony of it. So we'll see how this works out.

Review: The Work and the Glory

2005-03-17T20:55:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law and I went to see this tonight. The closest theatre to us that was still showing it was almost an hour away, but boy was it worth it. There were eleven people including us: ten adults and a cute little blond girl, maybe four or five years old. When it ended, the lady in front of us said, in a French sounding accent, "I want to see the rest!"
It was interesting how they didn't really bring too much theology into it. Joseph recounts his vision, and we see a couple of people baptized. That's about it. The movie instead focuses on more of the history of the early church, and a major point of focus is the persecution that Joseph and his followers endured. What's sad is that it still goes on today. But I digress.
What can I say? I liked this movie. The music was reminiscent of most church-sponsored films, but that's okay. It worked. The acting was a whole lot better than that of The Book of Mormon Movie, but that's just my opinion. I think Jonathan Scarfe did a wonderful job portraying Joseph Smith. And the subplot involving Joshua and Nathan with Lydia reminded me of an episode in my life (possible spoiler for those who haven't read th books): I was interested in one guy, but he made himself scarce for a while and I ended up going for another guy. The big difference was that in my case, the two men were not brothers. Okay, possible spoiler alert over. ^_^
Anyway, I definitely want this movie as a part of my movie collection. I doubt I'll be able to get a copy where I live though. But maybe I will! Who knows?

Anniversary!

2005-03-07T17:42:00.000-06:00

Two years ago today, I knelt in front of Mira and was sealed to him for eternity in the Lord's temple. Here's to many more years of happiness. (He wrote me the sweetest poem for my birthday last week! Is there any wonder why I love this man?)
Sister T

I'm a Mohican!

2005-02-24T23:14:00.000-06:00

A startling realization surfaced at Enrichment tonight: Not only am I in a minority, I am the minority! That's right, I am the only young married woman in the ward who does not yet have children! (And we are still the ward newlyweds since the recent newlyweds moved into a different ward. It'll be two years in less than two weeks! ^_^)
Anyway, I realized this at Enrichment night this evening when we divided up into three groups to talk about Family Home Evening at different stages in life: 1) singles, newlyweds without kids, and older folks with kids out of the house, 2) for families with young children, and 3) for families with teenagers. [I was in charge of getting the children's class in order (neé nursery; we just started it last month; they want the kids to actually learn something instead of play the whole time), but I didn't have to stay there. I had a week or so to prepare, but knowing me... Let's just say that procrastination is the only way I can get anything done. I've written some of my best papers the night before! ^_^ But back to our regularly scheduled blog...]
We started off in the Relief Society room, then broke off into our different classes and met back together for the last 15 minutes, then mingled. Anyway, my group consisted of my mother-in-law, who taught the class, two older single sisters (one widowed, one divorced), two older married sisters, and me. Boy did I look out of place! They were all dressed in nice blouses and slacks, and I came in my long sleeved tee and bluejeans. They had all had children before, and I'm just a really loveable aunt and fun nursery leader. Half of the time, we had a lesson, the rest of the time we just talked. Well, they talked, and I chimed in every once in a while.
And my procrastination paid off! The children's class went very well. Remind me to tell you how to play "Don't Eat Pete!" It's cute. ^_^
Well, what started out as a thought ended up as a full scale recap of my evening. Oh well. Congratulations if you made it this far.

What would I do?

2005-02-22T20:22:00.000-06:00

One of my worse fears is wondering what I would do if my husband died young, especially before we have kids. I read an article in next month's Ensign that dealth with a woman whose husband died two months after their daughter was born. So far, she has not been remarried, nor do I think she mentioned anything about the possibility of doing so in the future.
I've often wondered what I would do if Mira were to pass away at such a young age. What makes it worse is that he has fibromyalgia, and there are times I worry and freak out that something will happen and I'll be left a widow, even though I haven't heard about anybody dying because of fibro.
In trying to weigh my options in case, heaven forbid, something happens, I realize that I might have to remain a widow, which is something I don't know if I could handle. I couldn't get sealed again because I've already been sealed once. Even getting married for time only, whether to a member or non-member, has it's drawbacks. If I marry a member and we have children together, to whom would they be sealed? To Mira and I? Or my new husband and I? The same goes if I marry a non-member. What if he decides to join the church? He couldn't be sealed to me because I've already been sealed once. And what would happen if we had children together? It bogles my mind and I pray that I never have to deal with it.
It might be a bit easier if we had kids before he passes into the next stage. Then I'd have my kids to love and wouldn't feel too alone. Being a social widow is difficult enough as it is. When I was younger, I'd look at the couples in my ward and look forward to the day that I would be able to sit next to my husband with his arm around me. And for a while, I was able to. But then he got sick and wasn't able to come to church as often, which has continued for quite a while. Being in the nursery has been a safety for me, though. There have been times where I've sat in the chapel with all the couples and have been saddened because my other half isn't with me. So I set up in the nursery before the sacrament and go into the foyer to receive it, then if I have more work to be done, then I finish up during the rest of the meeting. But if I'm done, I stay in the foyer. It helps me keep my mind off the fact that I'm there alone. I guess it keeps me sane.

A couple thoughts...

2005-02-07T15:53:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law shared with us an e-mail she received from her mom (both of Mira's grandmothers are alive) recently. A guy is sitting in a chair at a barber's office, and the barber tells him that he's an athiest. Curious, the mas asks why. "Well," said the barber, " if there were a god, he wouldn't let anything bad happen. There can't be a god because of all the evil in the world." The man, unsure of what to say to that, lets the barber continue to cut his hair, and as he leaves, he sees a homeless man with long hair and a scraggly beard down the street. So the man walks back in and says, "There are no such things as barbers."
"What do you mean?" asked the barber. "I'm right here!"
"But I saw a man down the street with long hair and a scraggly beard. If there were such a thing as barbers, this man would have short hair and be clean shaven."
"But I can't do anything if he doesn't come to me!"
"That's exactly the point! How can we expect God to help us if we don't go to him for help?"

Yesterday was Fast Sunday. In testimony meeting, the daughter of one of my visiting teachers, all of seven, got up and said she was grateful for her family. "My family had a new baby named (name here). I thought my brother would be the last one (he's three), but you never know." I was setting up for nursery and listening to it in there, so I didn't see her parents' reactions to it, but I'm sure I heard some laughing in there. ^_^

I've been thinking: When my nieces and nephews have kids, what relation are I and Mira to them? Great- aunt and great-uncle?

Pre wedding advice

2005-01-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

In trying to think of advice for newlywed couples, I'm reminded of some advice that I should give before the wedding actually takes place.
The day we got married was the last day of classes before Spring Break of 2003, so Mira had a few classes in the morning of our wedding day and left his last class early to get to the temple on time. When I got there, he was nowhere to be found. Needless to say, I was getting impatient. Where was my future husband?! He showed up a few minutes later and told me that he forgot the marriage license, so he sent two of his SIL's back to the house to get it. About 15 minutes before they got back, he realized he also forgot my wedding band and his white shoes so we could take pictures outside afterwards. We borrowed another SIL's ring to stand in place of my band so we could exchange rings after the ceremony, and a nephew of his ran over to the mini-Beehive clothing store to get him a pair of shoes.
The next day was our reception, and we woke up late. By the time we got to church to get my hair done, some pictures taken, and all that jazz, we were about half an hour late in starting. Oh boy, what an interesting 48 hours! So, to recap: make sure you have everything you need before you get there and don't wake up late the day of the reception when there's a ton of work to be done. I learned the hard way.
Oh, another thought. One of Lar's SIL's is getting married this summer, and she plans on getting her rings soldered a few weeks before the wedding so she doesn't have to have it done later. I wish I would have thought of that! If you can stand not having your ring on your finger for a while, then that's a good idea. If you can't, it's still a good idea. Just get a ring to wear while your other one is in the shop. I don't wear my ring in the shower or in bed [snags the sheets and is dangerous in the dark (Ow! You poked me!)], so we went and bought a silver $10 band from Walmart. It does nicely and if you lose it down the drain, you're only out $10.
Still need to think of more advice for post wedding bliss, though. Be patient, it will come!

My advice

2005-01-01T20:54:00.000-06:00

I was at a wedding reception the other night (29 December 2004) for a guy I went to church with (my dad played photographer at the ring ceremony and reception and took a picture of a bunch of us that were youth together in the stake) and ran into Harold and Sara (see the "It's about time! post). I talked to Sara for a few minutes before Harold came by to talk; I congratulated her on their engagement and mentioned that I was coming up on my 2nd anniversary with Mira and she asked if I had any advice. I blanked! I said, "Um, have fun?" It wasn't until later that I thought of some advice I could have given her. (I'll mete that out later.) Then Harold came over and gave me a hug! I have never hugged that guy when we were teens, and here I was, reaching up to put my arm around his shoulder. I congratulated him and small talked with them about Mira not being there because his back was hurting again and other trivial matters. It was nice to see them again, and I wish them (and RT and his new wife "Janey") the best of luck in their lives together.
Now, onto the list. I started this list at my mom's, but left the list there, so I'll have to remember as much as I can, and add on a few more. Remember, this is just my advice and you can take it or leave it.

1. This is familiar advice that has probably been passed down from parents to newlyweds since the church began, but here it is anyway: read the scriptures and pray together every day.

2. Attend the temple together whenever possible. You never know when either of you will be unable.

3. Take time (especially on busy days) to just be with each other. For example: cuddle on the couch, in bed, etc. for ten minutes each day.

4. You don’t have to spend every waking minute with your spouse. Take some time to be alone, or you’ll never have anything to talk about and you’ll get on each other’s nerves. (Personal experience!)

5. When I was dating Mira, he was the most attractive man I had ever known. To this day, he is still the most attractive man I’ve ever known. And to this day, he says I am the most attractive woman he has ever known. Always remind your spouse how attractive s/he is to you.

6. Three words: breakfast in bed.

I've been picking my brain for more, but I'm fresh out of ideas. I'll post more later.

Happy New Year to all!

2004-12-31T18:11:00.000-06:00

May 2005 bring you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

A thought

2004-12-29T13:29:00.000-06:00

Mira and I were reading our scriptures this morning, and an interesting thought popped up.
First off, my BIL the bishop gave us a copy of The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families for our wedding almost two years ago. We've been re-reading the BofM since we've been married, and we decided to read from this particular book this time because it had interesting quotes and footnotes. Today we read 23 Alma, and there was a note about verse 17 where the converted Lamanites changed their name to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Now, growing up, I had always heard the term "anti" and was told that it was something that was against something else. Imagine my surprise when I read the footnote at the bottom of the page:

The Book of Mormon does not tell us why these converted Lamanites chose the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies. One meaning of the word anti at the time of Joseph Smith was "mirror image of." Perhaps these new believers wanted to be just like Lehi and Nephi, their righteous ancestors (see Joseph Fielding McConkie and others, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon 3:165)(p 333).

So could the anti-Christ be a mirror image of Christ, but not? You know what I mean? Like in the musical Cats. Near the end, the evil cat Macavity kidnaps the leader of the cats, Old Deuteronomy. Later, it appears that Old Deuteronomy has returned, but one of the female cats jumps on him, and it turns out to be Macavity in disguise.
Anyway, it's something to think about.

It's about time!

2004-12-25T22:36:00.000-06:00

I got news at my mom's tonight at dinner that a couple I knew in my home ward is finally getting married.
As youth, we all assumed that "Harold" and "Sara" would tie the knot one day. He picked her up for seminary and they went to school together. They hung out at the youth functions together and were always friendly towards each other. I don't think they were ever officially a couple, but it was understood, if you follow me, that those two would get married. Harold went to BYU, then left on a mission to Argentina (?), got back this summer, and I assume went back to BYU. Sara went to another Utah college when she graduated, and that's the last I had ever heard of her.
It was a big shock to hear the news, but at the same time, I'd been expecting it. From what I understand, they're getting married in July, but that's all I know. I don't know what temple, what day, anything like that. Hopefully my family can keep me posted, since they live in the same ward as Harold's parents. His folks will finally have all of their kids married off. ^_^
Good luck Harold and Sara!

Merry Christmas to all!

2004-12-25T01:18:00.000-06:00

"It's Christmas Adam!"

2004-12-23T22:34:00.000-06:00

Said my nephew last night. "Because tomorrow's Christmas Eve!"
Hahaha! ^_^ (Well, I thought it was cute, anyway.)

Pop Holiday music on Launch

2004-12-15T13:57:00.000-06:00

Recently, I started listening to pop versions of holiday songs on Launchcast, like Jewel's version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Adam Sandler's famous Chanukah Song (actually, I'm still waiting to hear it). But for the moment I've been paying more attention to the Christmas carols by pop acts. Currently, I've got Clay Aiken's version of The First Noel. It's kinda nice to hear songs about the Savior sung by popular voices. The only downside is that you can only listen to a Christmas carol so many times, as with many other songs.
The station doesn't focus on just Christmas, but it also has a couple dealing with Chanukah, your generic Happy Holidays songs, and even one about Kwanzaa! Now they need some about Yule/Solstice, and Saturnalia, andthey'll be all set! (A side note: I've posted on the Learn About (Neo)Paganism board at Beliefnet and asked them about those three holidays. When I get some answers, I'll post them, even if only for my own benefit.)

Hey, cool...

2004-12-08T19:32:00.000-06:00

I've seen this on a couple other sites and thought it would be a good tool to keep track of others that might just possibly link to me. For the past few days, all I've had is me posting from Blogger and technical junk like that.
Well, imagine my surprise to see an actual link from an actual blog! Woohoo! Thank you to Ebenezer Orthodoxy for noticing that I'm alive and blogging. Well, as much as I can, that is. ^_^

Praying for Grandpa

2004-12-08T17:10:00.000-06:00

My folks and my brothers went out to Utah Friday through Sunday to visit my grandpa (dad's dad) in Tooele. He's been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia for a while and currently resides in a nursing home near his daughter and her family (my aunt, dad's sister). He's losing track of time now; he thinks grandma died three weeks ago, and it's been five years (this from the man who fixed watches and clocks for a living).
My dad tells me he joined the military 63 years ago on the 3rd (3 December 1941). He'll be 91 on Christmas Day. After the first of the year, we're going to have a family fast and pray that he will soon be out of pain and released from mortality. This is hard, but it's really for the best; then he can be with his wife again. That'll be good for him.
In other news, we're still waiting for a time to go to the temple to seal Nana and Papa to their girls. I hope it's soon.

Making his mark on the world

2004-12-01T14:27:00.000-06:00

My brother-in-law the bishop dropped by today with a cd. The performer currently goes by the name on his tag: Elder Dent. But when he goes back home, he'll go by his first name: Leland*.
Elder Dent was serving as a missionary in our ward until a couple months back; I think this was his first area. He would play piano prelude for my hubby when he was unable to play on the the organ, and when Mira was released because of health problems, he would play when the new organist couldn't get there in time to play prelude. His talent lies in the fact that he plays by ear and does wonderful improvs on the hymns. He's even written his own music. There's just no stopping this guy!
Even though he serves the Lord and his fellow man by preaching the Gospel, he also serves by performing his music. My family had the opportunity, when he and his companion would come to dinner, to hear him play, and they always left our home with the Spirit.
I wish good luck to Elder Dent on his mission and in all his life after he returns with honor.

*The website is a bit sparse at the moment, but I expect it will bloom further after his mission.

I hope they call me on a mission...

2004-11-28T20:14:00.000-06:00

Well, we went to see our nephew's farewell talk today, then had our monthly family home evening, but left before his open house. He's due at the MTC on 15 December, and will be going to Las Vegas West for two years! Congratulations!
Then we also got word that another nephew will be going to San Fernando, California and will be in a Spanish-speaking area. He's due at the MTC in January. Great news! Another Spanish-speaking missionary in the family, besides my husband.
I'm so excited for all my missionary nephews: one in Russia (he'll be home next year!), one waiting to go to Taiwan (long story), and our two that are headed out within a month of each other. I wish them all the best of luck and pray that they'll be safe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! ^_^

2004-11-25T10:20:00.000-06:00

With love,
Sister T